Closure



J. JONES 2,720,881

CLOSURE Filed June 8, 1953 INVENTOR.

United States Patent Office 2,720,881 Patented Oct. 18, 1955 CLOSUREJohn Leslie Jones, Los Angeles, Calif. Application June 8, 1953, SerialNo. 360,000 5 Claims. (Cl. 128-261) My invention relates to improvementsin closures for medicament dispensers disclosed in my Patents U. S.2,616,422 and U. S. 2,546,754.

Included in the objects of my invention are:

First, to provide a medicament dispenser closure economical tomanufacture, utilizing relatively inexpensive material, so that it maybe disposable after a single use;

Second, to provide a simple single use closure for sealing a medicamentdispenser permitting the dispenser to be stored containing medicamentuntil ready for use;

Third, to provide a single use medicament dispenser closure permanentlybonded to the dispenser, which is suitable for storage of a water orother volatile solvent base type medicament for long periods of timewithout substantial loss of water or other volatile solvent;

Fourth, to provide a medicament dispenser closure which is simple forthe user to manipulate; and

Fifth, with the above, and other objects in view, as may be hereinafterreferred to, reference is directed to the accompanying drawings inwhich: i r

Figure 1 is an enlarged elevational view of the medicament dispenserembodying the improved closure;

Figure 2 is an enlarged partially sectional longitudinal view showingone form of the cap portion of the closure in operational relationshipwith the remainder of the medicament dispenser;

Figure 3 is an enlarged frontal view of the cap portion of the closureshown in cross section in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an enlarged frontal view of the cap portion of a furthermodification of the closure.

Figure 5 is an enlarged frontal view of the cap portion of still anothermodification of the closure.

Referring to Figure 1, a medicament dispenser is shown in which a rigidpaper tubular member number 1 of substantially uniform cross section isshown in operational relationship to a telescoping paper tube 2,together with the improved cap 3, applied exteriorly to the end of thepaper tube 1, and said cap 3 attached permanently to tube 1 by thepressure-sensitive adhesive coated tape 5, the film 4 being aflixed tothe exterior face of the cap 3 by the contiguous pressure sensitiveadhesive coating 12. An example of my improved closure is the cap 3 andfilm 4 bonded contiguously together by the pressure sensitive adhesive12.

In reference to Figure 2, the rigid paper tubular form 1, is shown inoperational relationship to the paper tube 2, in which the crimped end13 compresses the crushable container 6. The cap 3 is affixed to thedischarge end of the bag 6 and is heat-sealed bonded at the interface 11to the fold of the bag 6 which exteriorly laps over the paper tube 1.The integrally sealed cap 3 and bag 6 are attached to the paper tube 1by the overwrapped pressure sensitive tape 5. The medicament 9 is shownextruded through the orifice opening of which 7 is the incised edge ofthe orifice, forcing the flap 8 open. The flap 8 is connected to theremainder of the cap 3 at the hinge 10.

In Figure 3 the frontal view of cap 3 illustrated in Figure 2 is shown,wherein the flap 8 is formed by the incision 7 and contiguous to theadjacent portion of the cap face forming a closely fitting disc which issecured to the remainder of the cap 3 by the integral hinge 10.

In Figure 4 is shown a further modification of my closure Where in thefrontal view of the cap 14 are the incised cuts 15 forming the flaps 16.

In Figure 5 is shown a further modification of my closure in which thefrontal view of the cap 17 is shown with the inscribed cut 18 formingthe freely movable flaps 19.

Typically the cap 3 is about 0.02 inch wall thickness and the film 4bonded to the cap 3 is about 0.015 inch thick and the pressure sensitiveadhesive 12 adhering the film 4 to the cap 3 is about 0.001 inch thick.It is good commercial practice to make the cap 3 of an elastomericmaterial which can be heat sealed by standard means to the crushable bag6 made of a polymeric material. In addition it may be desirable toprovide an adhesive cement bonding the cap 3 to the bag 6 at. theinterface 11.

Since water alone, or in combination with alcohol, or other volatilesolvents, is used as a fluid in medicinal compositions, it is desirableto select an elastomeric material capable of containing the volatilesolvent without substantial loss over long periods of time of storage onthe shelf. Examples of volatile solvent resistant elastomeric materials,which may be used to form the cap and crushable container, arez'polyethylene, vinyl chloride-vinylacetate copolymer, polyvinylplastisols, polyvinyldene chloride copolymers, nylon, polybutylmethacrylate, polyethylene-aluminum foil laminate, and otherthermoplastic compositions of matter which are resistant to thepenetration of the fluid placed in the crushable container. In practice,the cap and the crushable container for a particular dispenser may beselected of materials which are capable of being heat sealed together atlow temperatures.

The film 4 closing the orifice of the cap may be composed of the abovelisted materials, together with additional films as aluminum foil, tinfoil, neoprene rubber, synthetic rubbers and other materials which arecapable of being bonded to the cap by a pressure sensitive adhesive basecompounded of polyisobutylene, synthetic rubbers and the like. Thepressure sensitive adhesive is selected from the class of adhesiveresistant to attack or solution by the volatile solvents contained inthe medicament.

In commercial practice it is intended that the dispenser be filled atthe factory, with the desired medicament being placed in the crushablecontainer 6, the tightlyfitting cap 3 is then placed over the dischargeend of the bag which overlaps the exterior walls of the tubular mernber1, the film 4, being previously bonded to the cap 3 by the pressuresensitive adhesive 12 before placing on the dispenser. The cap 3 is thenheat sealed at the interface 11 to the end of the crushable container 6overlapping the exterior end of the tubular member 1.

The applicator is made ready for use by grasping the edge of the film 4,which is purposely made a slightly larger diameter than the cap 3 toprovide a tab, and removing the film 4. The dispenser is then insertedinto the body cavity and the medicament 9 of the crushable container 6are discharged into the body cavity through the orifice opening by thepressure of the plunger 2 on the container 6, the force of themedicament 9 moving aside the flap 8 on the hinge 10. In a similarmanner, when the cap 14 of Figure 4 is attached to a dispenser, thepreviously secured film 4 may be removed from the frontal face of thecap. On pressure of the plunger 2 the medicament 9 is forced out of thecrushable container 6 through the orifice provided by the opening of theflaps 16. In

a like manner, when the cap 17 is utilized, the film 4 which ispreviously secured to the frontal face of the cap 17 shown in Figure 5is removed and the medicament 9 is again discharged through the orificeprovided by the outwardly opening flaps 19.

Other shapes of orifice openings may be provided by suitable incisionsin the face of a cap of flexible material, to provide flaps which instorage are held in the plane of the described frontal cap face by asuitable film bonded to the frontal face of the closure by a pressuresensitive adhesive. In addition, the film may be afiixed to the cap by awax or rubber base coating which may be stripped off at the time it isdesired to use the dispenser.

Additionally, the integrally bonded cap and crushable hollow containercombination may be directly heat sealed to the external paper tube,instead of taping the combination onto the tube. For example, thedischarge end of the paper tube may be coated with a polyethylene-waterbase emulsion, dried, then heat sealed to a cap and crushable hollowcontainer combination made of polyethylene. Alternatively, an adhesivemay be used to bond the cap and container combination to the paper tube.

Having now described and illustrated one form of my invention, I wish itto be understood that my invention is not to be limited to the specificform or arrangement of parts hereby described and shown.

I claim:

1. In a closure for a container discharge end: an elastomeric cap heatsealed to the container discharge end, incisions in the cap faceproviding a plurality of contiguous flaps therein; a pressure sensitiveadhesive layer contiguous to the frontal face of the cap; and a filmsecured to the pressure sensitive adhesive layer.

2. In a closure for a container discharge end: an elastomeric cap,incisions in the cap face providing a plurality of contiguous flapstherein; a tape means, securing the cap to the container; a pressuresensitive adhesive layer on the frontal face of the cap; and a filmsecured to the pressure sensitive adhesive layer.

3. A single use medicament dispenser comprising: a crushable hollowcontainer closed at one end and having a discharge end and located atone end of the dispenser; a closure permanently secured to the dischargeend of the crushable hollow container by a flexible cap means, incisionsin the cap face providing a plurality of contiguous flaps therein, apressure sensitive adhesive layer on the frontal face of the cap and afilm secured to the pressure sensitive adhesive layer.

4. A single use medicament dispenser comprising: a crushable hollowcontainer closed at one end having a discharge end and located at oneend of the dispenser; a closure permanently bonded to the discharge endof the crushable hollow container; said closure comprising anelastomeric cap, the frontal face thereof plurally intersectinglyincised to provide multiple contiguous flaps therein, a pressuresensitive adhesive layer on the frontal face of the cap, and a removablefilm secured to the pressure sensitive adhesive layer.

5. A single use medicament dispenser comprising: a crushable hollowcontainer closed at one end having a discharge end and located in oneend of the dispenser; a closure permanently bonded to the discharge endof the crushable hollow container; said closure comprising a flexiblecap, the frontal face of the cap provided with contiguous flexible flapssecured to a removable film by a bonding means; and means securing saidclosure and container together.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

